Readings for the Feast of Joseph Calasanz

Readings for the Memorial of
St. Joseph Calasanz
Priest
August 25

Go to the Liturgy of the Hours

MASS

From the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Educators or from the Common of Pastors: For One Pastor

COLLECT
Deus, qui beatum Iosephum presbyterum tanta caritate et patientia decorasti, ut pueris erudiendis omnique virtute exornandis constanter incumberet, concede, quaesumus, ut, quem sapientiae praeceptorem colimus, veritatis cooperatorem iugiter imitemur.
O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Joseph Calasanz
with such charity and patience
that he labored tirelessly
to educate children and endow them with every virtue,
grant, we pray, that we, who venerate him as a teacher of wisdom,
may constantly imitate him,
for he was a co-worker of your truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

FIRST READING 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 or 13:4-13
Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM           Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD
that the poor may hear and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia.
Magnify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, who answered me,
delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy
and your faces may not blush for shame.
In my misfortune I called,
the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them,
delivers all who fear God.
Learn to savor how good the LORD is;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia.
Fear the LORD, you holy ones;
nothing is lacking to those who fear him.
The powerful grow poor and hungry,
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia.

ALLELUIA          John 15:9b,5b
Remain in my love, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.

GOSPEL          Matthew 18:1-5
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

The Liturgy of the Hours
Joseph Calasanz

From the Common of Holy Men: teachers or of Pastors, except the following

Office of Readings

SECOND READING

From The Writings of Saint Joseph Calasanz, priest
(Memoriale al Card. M. A.Tonti, 1621: Ephem, Calas. 36,9-10: Romae 1967, pp.473-474; L.Picanyol, Epistolario di S. Giuseppe Calasanzio. 9 vol., ediz. Calas., Romae 1951-1956, passim)

Let us try to cling to Christ and please him alone

Everyone knows the great merit and dignity attached to that holy ministry in which young boys, especially the poor, receive instruction for the purpose of attaining eternal life. This ministry is directed to the well-being of body and soul; at the same time that it shapes behavior it also fosters devotion and Christian doctrine. In doing this it performs for the young boys the very same service as their guardian angels.

Moreover the strongest support is provided not only to protect the young from evil, but also to rouse them and attract them more easily and gently to the performance of good works. Whatever the type of condition, it is well known that when the young are given this help the change for the better is so great that it becomes impossible to distinguish those who are educated from those who are not. Like the twigs of plants the young are easily influenced, as long as someone works to change their souls. But if they are allowed to grow hard, we know well that the possibility of one day bending them diminishes a great deal and is sometimes utterly lost.

All who belong to the society of men, and especially all Christians, praise those who increase the human dignity of young boys, especially poor boys by giving them a proper education Above all, parents are happy that their children are led through straight paths. civil leaders rejoice to gain upright subjects and good citizens. The Church is especially joyful that others who love Christ and proclaim the Gospel are added to its following.

All who undertake to teach must be endowed with deep love, the greatest patience, and, most of all, profound humility. They must perform their work with earnest zeal. Then, through their humble prayers, the Lord will find them worthy to become fellow workers with him in the cause of truth. He will console them in the fulfillment of this most noble duty, and, finally, will enrich them with the gift of heaven.

As Scripture says: Those who instruct many in justice will shine as stars for all eternity. They will attain this more easily if they make a covenant of perpetual obedience and strive to cling to Christ and please him alone, because, in his words: What you did to one of the least of my brethren, you did for me.

RESPONSORY 1 Thess. 2:8; Gal. 4:19
I have longed to give you the Gospel,
and more than that, to give you my very life;
- you have become very dear to me.

My little children, I am like a mother giving birth to you,
until Christ is formed in you.
- you have become very dear to me.

COLLECT
O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Joseph Calasanz
with such charity and patience
that he labored tirelessly
to educate children and endow them with every virtue,
grant, we pray, that we, who venerate him as a teacher of wisdom,
may constantly imitate him,
for he was a co-worker of your truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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